Police Abuse Archives • Melbourne Activist Legal Support

Media Statement: Excessive Force, Special Powers, and Misinformation Characterise Policing of DLF Protests, Report Finds

27 January 2025 less than 1 minute read

27 January 2025 The Policing of the DLF Protests, a comprehensive new report by Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS), details disturbing patterns of police misconduct, misuse of special powers, and media misinformation during the Disrupt Land Forces (DLF) protests in September 2024. The report, based on eyewitness accounts from trained independent legal observers, reveals a…

Media statement: Grossly excessive policing of protesters likely infringed on human rights

11 September 2024 4 minute read

11 September 2024 Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) fielded a team of 20 independent legal observers to monitor the policing of protests against the Land Forces Exposition between 6.00am and 1.00pm, Wednesday 11 September 2024, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in Melbourne. Legal observers witnessed multiple incidents of excessive use of force…

Policing of the pro-Palestine counter-rally at the ‘Never Again Is Now’ event at Parliament House on Sunday 19 May, 2024

16 June 2024 17 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) expresses concern regarding the discriminatory policing, excessive use of police force, and obstruction of legal observers witnessed at the pro-Palestine counter-rally at the ‘Never Again Is Now’ event at Parliament House on Sunday 19 May, 2024.

Policing of 420 in the Park

5 May 2024 6 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) provides the below report regarding the policing of the 420 in the Park event. Background On Saturday 20 April 2024 MALS fielded a team of four trained legal observers at the ‘420 in the Park’ event at Flagstaff Gardens, West Melbourne, Victoria. ‘420 In the Park’ is an annual event…

Response to IBAC’s review of Victoria Police use of OC spray

24 April 2024 3 minute read

MALS welcomes the review into the use of OC spray by Victoria Police, which was released on 23 April 2024 by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). The findings of the review vindicate what MALS legal observers have documented and reported on for many years.

Statement of Concern: Policing of Free Palestine March

13 February 2024 20 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) expresses concern regarding the violent and unsafe policing of protesters and legal observers at the Free Palestine march in the Melbourne CBD on Sunday 4 February, 2024.

Statement of Concern: Policing of the Webb Dock Picket

25 January 2024 17 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support expresses concern regarding the policing of the Webb Dock Picket between Friday, 19 January 2024 and Monday, 22 January 2024.

Policing of the Webb Dock protest – Preliminary Legal Observer Statement of Concern

22 January 2024 3 minute read

A team of trained, independent legal observers was present during the Victoria Police operation at Webb Dock in Port Melbourne on Monday 22 January 2024. This is a list of preliminary concerns.

What to do if you are assaulted or OC sprayed by police in Victoria

13 January 2024 2 minute read

Basic legal steps to take if you are affected by OC spray or assaulted by police at a protest in Victoria.

Designated Areas as Protest Control

5 November 2023 5 minute read

MALS believes that the use of designated areas as a method of protest control undermines the rights to assembly, association, and political expression that are protected under sections 15 and 16 of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (the Charter)

MALS calls for ban of dangerous police weapons

28 April 2023 3 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) has provided a submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture recommending a ban on the police use of explosive weapons such as stinger grenades and flash-bangs, a prohibition on the use of police horses as crowd control weapons and far stricter controls on the use of OC spray and kinetic projectile weapons that were used during Melbourne’s anti-lockdown protests.

Annual Report 2022

8 December 2022 13 minute read

Over 2021 to 2022, MALS has continued to provide unique, specialised and targeted legal and human rights information, resources, training and other forms of direct support to a wide range of diverse, progressive social movements in Victoria.

OC Spray Class Action provides hope for accountability

2 September 2022 4 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) welcomes the class action against Victoria Police’s use of capsicum spray and excessive force against protesters at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne in October 2019.

‘Draconian and undemocratic’: why criminalising climate protesters in Australia doesn’t actually work

1 July 2022 5 minute read

The criminalisation of environmental protest in Australia isn’t new.

Statement of Concern: Unnecessary use of handcuffs

5 April 2022 4 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support is concerned about the increasing normalisation of the use of handcuffs on protesters and other people subject to arrest.

Lessons from the Occupy Movement: A web forum

19 February 2021 3 minute read

3.00pm Sunday, February 21, 2021 Inspired by the global call for action by the Indignados movement in Spain, the protests and revolutions across the Arab World and the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, Occupy Melbourne and Occupy Sydney was launched by many hundreds of activists in October 2011. Occupy sought to transform…

Statement of Concern: Good Friday Protest Suppressed by Police under COVID Restrictions

13 April 2020 4 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) is extremely concerned about the way in which the police have used their special policing powers in relation to COVID-19 to suppress peaceful protest. The effect has been to prevent political communication. The situation highlights the lack of exception for peaceful protest under Victorian emergency restrictions. Police arrested one of the…

Are governments violating human rights and civil liberties in coronavirus response?

1 April 2020 6 minute read

Historically crises have been exploited to introduce dangerous policies—right now may be one of these moments. By Sahar Vardi, Mar 26, 2020 With the rise of far right, nationalist governments over the past few years, the world has seen more measures to systematically target voices of dissent and political opposition—resulting in the rapid shrinking of…

What is ‘Strategic Incapacitation’ and why is it important for activists to understand it?

8 December 2019 4 minute read

This post is an excerpt from our recent Legal Observer Report: The Policing of the IMARC Protests. Melbourne Activist Legal Support has tracked the rise in coercive and excessive crowd control tactics by Victoria Police over several years at protest events throughout Victoria. Victoria Police’s approach to protests has been characterised by a lack of…

Legal Observer Report: Policing of the IMARC Protests

6 December 2019 15 minute read

Download a PDF copy of this 45 page report here. Media: Legal observers find police ‘set tone of violence’ at anti-mining protests. Benjamin Miller, The Age, December 7, 2019. Executive Summary The police tactics, approaches and the behaviour of individual police members during the IMARC protest events from Tuesday 29th to Thursday 31st October demonstrated…

Preliminary Statement of Concern: Policing of the IMARC Protests

29 October 2019 3 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) fielded a team of Legal Observers at this morning’s protest events at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) that took place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Victoria. The protest involved activists chanting, singing, holding banners, speaking and linking arms at the entrance of the Conference…

Help us protect your rights to protest: Donate to MALS now!

9 September 2019 4 minute read

Melbourne Activist Legal Support has launched our first-ever crowdfunding campaign, and here’s why. When people protest in Melbourne, MALS is often there behind the scenes. Our Legal Observer Teams in pink vests and cameras are now a pretty familiar sight on the streets of Melbourne. MALS is an all-volunteer group of lawyers, law-students, and human…

What is this thing called Activist Legal Support?

28 July 2019 7 minute read

Activist Legal Support is not just Legal Observing Many people these days equate Legal Observing with “legal support” partly due to the relatively high visibility and profile of Legal Observing, particularly in Victoria – Legal Observers stand out whilst back-end legal support training / arrest support / court support is far less visible to anyone…

#NotWithYou: Why More Weapons for Victoria Police is a Very Bad Idea

24 March 2018 8 minute read

Victoria Police have revealed it’s armoury of new repressive weaponry.

Roles of the Activist Lawyers Network

28 May 2017 4 minute read

Solicitors can play a vital role in protecting the civil, political and human rights of activists seeking positive change. They can help demystify the law and legal processes, provide concrete information and help activists make informed choices about protest action. Importantly, lawyers can reassure people engaged in civil disobedience by their presence, support and advocacy…

Staying Safe: Protective Strategies for Activists

14 April 2017 6 minute read

Organisations like Protection International (PI) and Peace Brigades International (PBI) work in different countries with HRDs on protective strategies that can lower the chance of attacks and threats. Working together with activists and HRDs, these organisations have built a body of techniques that people can access and apply to their own work. Knowing how to…

Anti-mask Laws Proposed in Victoria

14 March 2017 9 minute read

Proposed Victorian anti-mask legislation could put at risk this and countless other forms of peaceful political expression and potentially undermine the freedom we have to assemble and associate.

Statement of Concern: Reclaim Australia and Counter Rallies, 18th July 2015

18 July 2015 3 minute read

On Saturday the 18th of July 2015 Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) fielded a team of eight (8) trained Legal Observers at the Reclaim Australia and counter rallies that took place near the intersection of Spring and Bourke Streets in Melbourne’s Central Business District. Legal Observers monitored the actions of Victoria Police and recorded evidence…

Occupy Policing: The Eviction of Occupy Melbourne

1 December 2014 7 minute read

By Julia Dehm and Sara DehmFirst published in Critical Legal Thinking, 8 November 2012. Inspired by the global call for action by the Indignados movement in Spain, the protests and revolutions across the Arab World and the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, activists organised to launch Occupy Melbourne in City Square on…